EU-wide definition of rape primarily based on the absence of freely given, knowledgeable, revocable consent

European Parliament examines a joint report on the importance of defining rape based on the absence of consent in both EU and national legislation.
The report has been submitted by the women’s rights and gender equality committee and the civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee.

This marks a renewed effort to establish a definition of rape based on the absence of consent, following the failure to include such provisions in the EU directive on violence against women and domestic violence adopted in 2024. While many EU countries have since begun reforming their criminal laws, significant differences remain across EU countries.